You are here

Sexual discrimination

Experimental visualization of narrower problems

Other Names:

Active sex prejudiceGender discriminationLack of gender sensitivity

Nature:

Sexual roles tend to be fixed by most societies, but in different ways. Most 'western' industrialized countries do not accept homosexuality, whereas it is tolerated in Asia and among certain primitive tribes. Discrimination between the roles of men and women exists everywhere but is somewhat more liberal in certain industrialized countries.

Claim:

Since gender is the primary source of inequality, the disappearance of gender is a prerequisite for the complete development of non-sexist, fully human theory of justice. The allocation of fixed sexual roles includes general discrimination against women, against men, and the non-acceptance of homosexuality. In some cultures celibacy and the unmarried state are made virtually impossible and marriages are forced, under the influence of a societal demand for procreation. Childlessness is considered a curse.

Counter Claim:

Owing to a lack of complete scientific investigation, a differential psychology for males versus females remains to be elaborated. Despite substantial prejudice to the contrary, however, there is already a considerable amount of empirical and theoretical observations which assist in a probabilistic approach to role performance optimization for the sexes. More knowledge will enhance the preferential sex for some roles, as well as obliterate the need for specification in others.

About the Encyclopedia

The Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential is a collaboration between UIA and Mankind 2000, started in 1972. It is the result of an ambitious effort to collect and present information on the problems with which humanity is confronted, as well as the challenges such problems pose to concept formation, values and development strategies. Problems included are those identified in international periodicals but especially in the documents of some 60,000 international non-profit organizations, profiled in the Yearbook of International Organizations.

The Encyclopedia includes problems which such groups choose to perceive and act upon, whether or not their existence is denied by others claiming greater expertise. Indeed such claims and counter-claims figure in many of the problem descriptions in order to reflect the often paralyzing dynamics of international debate. In the light of the interdependence demonstrated among world problems in every sector, emphasis is placed on the need for approaches which are sufficiently complex to encompass the factions, conflicts and rival worldviews that undermine collective initiative towards a promising future.

Non-profit, apolitical, independent, and non-governmental in nature, the UIA has been a pioneer in the research, monitoring and provision of information on international organizations, international associations and their global challenges since 1907.